Human Action, Consciousness, and Problems of Representation

Geeta Ramana

Innovative blending of concepts of two major philosophical themes: human action and consciousness

Addresses a core and popular philosophy area: philosophy of mind

Human Action, Consciousness, and Problems of Representation

Geeta Ramana

Description

This book is a philosophical analysis of ordinary concepts like human action and consciousness, and how they get represented in our language. It examines the philosophical history of the issues that emerge and places the discussion across different paradigms. It brings into contemporary focus some problems like intentionality, relation between mind and body, and the structure of explanations.

Examining fundamental concepts of thought, this book explores a range of approaches related to human consciousness. Realist paradigms of consciousness as expressed through linguistic and phenomenological structures are also discussed along with their epistemological and semantic implications. Though some of the discussions are contextualized within certain philosophical traditions, we can fruitfully reframe some of the problematics within alternative philosophical traditions for deeper insights into some of the tricky problems of philosophy. For instance, the vocabulary of action within the Indian philosophical framework offers an alternative perspective that treats action itself as a fundamental category that has causal as well as moral implications.

This book will be useful for anyone interested in pursuing concepts philosophically and chart its implications for various areas of knowledge.

Human Action, Consciousness, and Problems of Representation

Geeta Ramana

Table of Contents

List of AbbreviationsForeword by R.C. Pradh?nPrefaceAcknowledgements1. Explanations: The Different Paradigms2. Actions and Events: The Problems of Identity and Description3. The Schema of Practical Reasoning4. Structure of Intention and Action5. Consciousness, Language, and Representation of Action6. Semantic Realism, Empiricism, and Interpretation7. The Problem of Consciousness and the Linguistic Mind8. Representation and Content9. Overcoming the Explanatory Gap and the 'Phenomenal' Resistance10. Conclusion: Three Paradigms to the Mind-Body Problem and an Indian ParadigmBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

Human Action, Consciousness, and Problems of Representation

Geeta Ramana

Author Information

Geeta Ramana, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai

Geeta Ramana is Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of Mumbai.